Saturday, December 5, 2009

All in a day's work

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 5; the fifth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton

Hang Murphy for saying, anything that can possibly go wrong, does! I always used to believe that things that can go wrong or goes wrong may all of a sudden go right given a chance and enough faith and patience, sometimes at the last moment. And it used to be that way, often!

I remember being kicked out [Ya, you heard it right! Kicked out!] of a very low-paid 'it-is-my-benevolence-you-are-here' job in a lesser-known College in Karnataka, only to find I myself placed in a well-paid and exciting job, in a week, in a well-known college in Karnataka. I was asked to leave the place at a time when there was no vacancies in Colleges where I lived and after I turned down a couple of good offers a week before my management-reserves-the-right-not-to-state-reasons dismissal. In a week's time, I got a better job and that too because I was half an hour late for an interview I was supposed to attend in the first place. The Dismissal and the Late Coming could have proved Murphy right. But life thought otherwise!

I remember reaching the Mangalore Railway Station once, barely in time because of a sudden roadblock, only to find the moving train. That Train was to Trivandrum and I had to reach the place early next morning or I was doomed because I had a client waiting there expecting my arrival and an event scheduled which depended entirely on my arrival. The roadblock could have proved Murphy right. But life thought otherwise! It was all in slow motion and counted frame by frame, in milliseconds. I did not miss that train.

With everything that I believed, Murphy tried to prove me wrong day before yesterday. He tried to prove, hang him for trying to prove the truth, that anything that can possibly go wrong, does!

It was a very normal day, day before yesterday, until evening! We usually leave office at 6.00 pm or 6.30 pm in the evening. So rest of my colleagues left office as usual. It was 7.00 pm and I was waiting for my colleague who worked as a freelancer for us to come and collect a couple of important documents. After my colleague left, I sat for some more time to check emails. It started raining all of a sudden and I thought I better leave. I went around closing the windows and doors.

To prove Murphy right, I decided I would close the two doors to my Office Room last and then lock the main door. Now, my Office Room has two doors. One opens to the balcony. One opens to the Main Office Hall. Both remained open, as I went around closing other doors and windows. As I was closing the other doors, I heard one of the doors to my Office Room bang shut. I did not really bother about it at that point of time because I thought it was the door to the balcony. I checked all the other windows and doors, taking my own sweet time, and then came back to pick my bag from my Office Room and leave.

I came back and saw the door to my office room shut. I turned the knob and pushed the door. It wouldn't budge. When the door banged shut, the lock got jammed. I tried to open it using the key I had. The key turned and clicked but the door would not open. Then, the alarm rang in my head - Sweetheart, the door to the balcony is open! Oh! My Goodness! The Door to the Balcony is Open!

It was 9 pm by the time I got exhausted trying all the tricks I had up my sleeves to cajole the door to open, cursing Murphy every time I tried something. I tried using the key. I tried easing the lock with the oil I had in the Office kitchen. I tried to open it with a screw driver. Nothing worked. I tried calling our carpenter and the guy would not pick up his phone. And it was still raining.

Finally, I decided to let my colleagues know and sleep in the Office. Luckily for me, we have a guest room in our Office and I decided to spend the rest of the night there. Call the carpenter in the morning and fix the thing. That was the only option left.

Getting a carpenter or a plumber to come when you need him the most is next to impossible. We tried all morning yesterday and all the carpenters in Mangalore are busy when you really need them. First, our carpenter said he would come at 10.00 am. Then he said, he would come at 2.00 pm. Then he said, he would come at 6.00 pm. When I made my last and final do-it-or-hang-yourself call at 6 pm because he did not turn up, he was all honey candy and promised me he would send his apprentice at 10.00 am today morning. Do you know what that means? I am spending the rest of my life in the Office Guest Room till the carpenter comes and gets the damn door open! Till then, it is gona be all till-the-carpenter-repairs- the-door work, instead of all in a days work!

I am trying my best to find reasons to prove Murphy wrong again, I hate losing. I think the door got jammed with a purpose, for good. In fact, if the door never got jammed I would have never participated in Blog-a-Ton 5! I had no clue what to write about "All in a day's work!" Look at me, now that the door got jammed and I am endlessly waiting for the carpenter to come to my rescue, I got something to write about. At least about "all till-the-carpenter-repairs- the-door work", if not about "All in a day's work!"

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UPDATE: Thank God! I could catch hold of a carpenter and get the door right. My wait to get home is finally over. The guy is sitting here sipping a hot cup of tea after the job, as I am typing this!